In conversation after conversation with lab managers and health system IT leaders, a familiar frustration comes up: customization requests are often met with resistance from their LIS (Laboratory Information System) vendors.
And gosh darn it, there’s really no need for them to get that same old response – that it will cost $100K and take 6 months…
Some of the most established LIS platforms offer core functionality. However, when labs ask for adjustments and customizations to fit their unique workflows, the conversation tends to stall. The response is usually some version of a long timeline, high cost, or general discouragement from pursuing the request. Time after time, lab after lab, the message is repetitive: standardization is the priority; customization is a burden.
You’ve probably heard these answers as well, at one point, haven’t you?
What Does “Customization” Really Mean in the Lab?
When we talk about LIS customization, we’re not talking about reinventing the wheel. More often than not, it’s about tailoring small but critical pieces that make a big operational difference. Take HL7 messaging, for example. Many labs need to send results in a specific HL7 format to external systems, such as EHRs or reference labs, but the default interface may not support certain segments or custom fields.
Another lab might want to auto-release certain negative results only after a second-level validation step, or flag specimens for reprocessing if a barcode fails a check-digit algorithm. Others might require conditional logic – for example, sending results only if certain criteria are met, like patient age or test priority.
In multi-site environments, some labs want dynamic routing logic – automatically sending tests to the right analyzer or location based on capacity or turnaround time, not just test type. These aren’t science-fiction requests; they’re practical enhancements that help labs move faster, reduce errors, and stay compliant.
However, when the LIS platform lacks flexibility, lab teams end up patching these needs with manual steps or middleware workarounds.
LIS Customizations are Necessities
This isn’t a one-off complaint. It’s become a pattern. In fact, a recent industry survey found that nearly one-third of labs felt their LIS lacked the capabilities needed to support their full range of testing services. Additionally, almost 40% said their systems fell short in managing the full scope of lab workflows.
What makes this so frustrating is that labs aren’t usually asking for groundbreaking innovation. On the contrary, they’re asking for practical improvements; a tweak to how rules are applied. A better interface for multi-site coordination. More automation in a specific workflow. These requests are about efficiency, compliance, and patient safety.
Yet too often, they’re treated as optional luxuries rather than operational necessities.
Moreover (and perhaps even worse), many vendors don’t just resist these requests – they actively disincentivize them. Long timelines and high estimates aren’t just about resource management; they’re also a soft “no.” The result is that many labs stop asking altogether and adjust their processes to fit the system, rather than having a system that fits them.
A Limiting and Risky Mindset
When labs build workarounds or settle for inefficient processes, the margin for error grows, staff burnout increases, and compliance can become harder to maintain. As the National Society for Histotechnology points out, a good LIS should actively support regulatory compliance, providing audit trails and documentation that are ready for inspection at any time. If the system resists adaptation, that support falls apart.
However…
The reality is that the LIS should adapt to the lab, and not the other way around. A responsible, service-oriented, and future-ready LIS Vendor must be open to special projects and customizations. The responsible part is key, which ties in to being a service-oriented vendor: not everything is possible, but your vendor must promise to listen, scope the request, and give your lab a realistic sense of what it would take.
No scare tactics. No six-month, six-figure roadblocks..
When done right, LIS Customizations Create Value
LabOS was built to be agile and handle unique needs while remaining stable, compliant, and efficient. When a lab improves, the platform improves too – one lab’s need is another’s benefit. LabOS doesn’t just provide customizations and special projects – it builds an ecosystem of labs supporting each other’s efforts, thus pushing the entire lab space forward into the future.
Simply put, your lab’s feedback and ideas don’t just solve your problem – they help shape the next version of the system for everyone.
At LabOS, we don’t shy away from custom work. We welcome it. If your lab is tired of being told to “settle”, let’s explore what better could look like – together, and build a system that actually works for you.
